Coin counter

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus to electrically control a coin counter which is supplying a predetermined number of coins to a coinwrapping station. The method includes a means to stop the action of the coin impeller upon the detection of passage of the preselected number of coins.

United States Patent Inventor John K. McCullough Spartanburg, S.C. Appl. No. 841,487 Filed July 14, 1969 Patented Sept. 14, 1971 Assignee Deering Milliken Research Corporation Spartanburg, S.C.

COIN COUNTER 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 133/8 R, 53/62, 53/78 Int. Cl 607d 9/00 Field ofScai'ch 53/62, 78,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,728,507 12/1955 Francis 53/254 X 2,881,975 4/1959 Bower 133/8 X 3,138,166 6/1964 Buchholz 133/8 3,457,695 7/1969 McCollough et a1. 53/254 X Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Att0rneysNorman C. Armitage and H. William Petry ABSTRACT: Method and apparatus to electrically control a coin counter which is supplying a predetermined number of coins to a coin-wrapping station. The method includes a means to stop the action of the coin impeller upon the detection of passage of the preselected number of coins.

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JOHN K.McCOLLOUGH ATTORNEY PATENTEUSEPWQYI 3.604.432

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JOHN K. McCOLLOUGH MR. MW

ATTORNEY COIN COUNTER A large percentage of coin counters available commercially today are basically mechanically operated and use complicated mechanical mechanisms to perform the required job. These counters are subject to numerous breakdowns requiring a considerable amount of service which results in high operating expense as well as lost machine time.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel coin counter which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin counter which is electrically controlled to provide positive accurate control of the coin count. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a schematic representation of the new and novel coin counter;

FIG. 2 is a top view of coin-actuated star wheel;

FIGS} 3 and 4 represent two forms of the coin selector cams; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of the new and novel coin counter. Looking now to FIG. 1, the overall novel coin counter is shown schematically. Coins to be packaged in rolls are supplied from a coin collection container to the transfer tube 12 by a'suitable transfer roll 14 driven by motor 16 through power transmission belts l8 and 20 and clutch 22. Transfer roll 14 is of a fairly soft resilient material and has an outer surface of frictional material to firmly grip the top of each coin as it is delivered from the coin collection container 10 through the deflector members 24 and 26 to the transfer roll 14. The driven transfer roll 14 frictionally engages the top of each coin 28 (FIG. 2) and moves it forward against the star wheel 30 during its path of travel onto the chute 32 and into the transfer tube 12. Located at the bottom of the transfer tube 12 is a pair of pivotally mounted pallet members 34 to retain coins 28 in the transfer tube until a certain predetermined number have been collected in the transfer tube 12. When this predetermined number of coins 28 have been collected inthe transfer tube, the pallet members 34 are pivoted away from each other to allow the coins to drop into the collection tube 36 from whence they are wrapped in any suitable manner. Connected to the star wheel 30 is an elongated shaft 38 to which is rigidly attached and rotating therewith a worm 40 and a star wheel cam 42. The worm 40 engages and drives a worm gear 44 mounted on a shaft 46 to which is mounted count cams 48 and 50. Each count cam 48 and 50 has a plurality of cam surface actuators 52 which engage periodically the switches 54 and 56, respectively, for reasons hereinafter explained. Count cam 48 has four cam surfaces 52 to allow four counts of fifty coins for each complete rotation of the worm gear 44 while count cam 50 has five cam surfaces 52 to allow five counts of 40 coins for each complete rotation of the worm gear 44. The star wheel 30, worm 40 and worm gear 44 are suitably selected to provide the count indicated by the action of count cams 48 and 50.

OPERATION Looking now to the drawings in more detail, especially FIG. 5, the operation of the coin counter will be explained. As explained before, the cams 48'and 50 can be selected to count out either 50 or 40 coins. In FIG. 5, the selector switch 58 is in the position to select a count of 40 coins, thereby placing the cam 50 in operative relation to the switch 56.

Assume now for the sake of discussion, that the counter is in the process of counting and coins are being supplied to the transfer tube 12. When the thirty-sixth or thirty-seventh coin passes through the star wheel 30, coin count cam surface 52 of cam 50 actuates switch 56 to energize solenoid 59 through relay.60. Energization of solenoid 59 causes solenoid plunger 62 (FIG. 1) to pivot star wheel switch support 64 clockwise to place the star wheel switch 66 into the path of travel of star wheel cam 42. Then when the fortieth coin passes through the star wheel 30, the star wheel cam is rotated into a position where it engages the star wheel switch to actuate the relay coil 68 to open the relay switch 70. Opening of the relay switch 70 deenergizes the clutch 22 to break the power train from the motor 16 to the coin transfer roll 14 thusly stopping the supply of coins to the transfer tube 12. To prevent the star wheel cam 42 from overriding, a mechanical stop member 72 is provided to prevent further rotation of the cam 42 and the star wheel 30 connected thereto through shaft 38.

Opening of relay switch 70 also breaks the circuit to relay coil 74, which, after the charge on the capacitor 76 has been dissipated, opens relay switch 78 and closes relay switch 80. Relay switch 78 is in the circuit with the coin-wrapping machine (not shown) and causes the machine to either start another cycle or continue its cycle if the cycle is not complete. Relay switch 80 is in the circuit which controls the opening of the pallet members and either causes the pallet members to open to drop the coins into the coin-wrapping machine if the cycle is complete or presets the pallet member circuit so that the pallet members will be opened when the coin-wrapping machine is ready to receive the stack of counted coins.

Then when a new cycle is started the pallet members 34 close and pallet switch 82 is actuated momentarily to pulse relay coil 84 which closes relay switch 86 and in turn maintains relay coil 84 energized through switch 56. At the same time switch 60 is opened to deenergize solenoid 59.

Deenergization of solenoid 59 causes star wheel switch support 64 to pivot counterclockwise away from the star wheel cam 42 allowing star wheel switch 66 to open to deenergize the relay coil 68. Deenergizing of relay coil 68 closes relay switch 70 to energize the clutch 22 to start the coin transfer roll 14 again on the next cycle. After a few coins have rotated the star wheel 30, the cam surface 52 of the cam 50 will move off of switch 56 to deenergize relay coil 84 which closes relay switch 60 and opens relay switch 86 to set up the circuit once again for the next count.

It can readily be seen that the herein disclosed novel coin counter provides a method of accurately counting and supplying a predetermined number of coins with a minimum of mechanical motions. Further the disclosed apparatus is simple in design and will provide much longer service life than the counters presently being employed commercially.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I contemplate that many changes may be made within the scope of the invention and I desire to be limited only by the scope of the claims.

Iclaim:

l. Apparatus to supply a predetermined number of coins to a zone to be packaged comprising: a coin container, a coin collection tube, means to retain coins in said collection tube, roll means adjacent said container to supply individual coins from said container to said collection tube, drive means operably associated with said roll means, means adjacent said roll means to detect the passage of coins from said container to said collection tube, means operably associated with said means to detect to inactivate said drive means when a predetermined number of coins have been detected, said means to detect being a rotatably mounted star wheel which is rotated by the coins being pushed thereagainst, said means to inactivate said drive means including a cam and switch means, said switch means being pivotally mounted and means to pivot said switch means into the path of travel of said cam upon the detection of the passage of predetermined number of coins.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cam and said star wheel are interconnected by a shaft, said shaft having a first gear thereon, a second gear on a second shaft meshing with said first gear, a count cam on said second shaft, switch means mounted adjacent said second shaft and means on said count cam to energize said switch means when said count cam is rotated into position by said star wheel.

drive means.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said cam and said star wheel are interconnected by a shaft, said shaft having a first gear thereon, a second gear on a second shaft meshing with said first gear, a count cam on said second shaft, switch means mounted adjacent said second shaft and means on said count cam to energize said switch means when said count cam is rotated into position by said star wheel. 

1. Apparatus to supply a predetermined number of coins to a zone to be packaged comprising: a coin container, a coin collection tube, means to retain coins in said collection tube, roll means adjacent said container to supply individual coins from said container to said collection tube, drive means operably associated with said roll meanS, means adjacent said roll means to detect the passage of coins from said container to said collection tube, means operably associated with said means to detect to inactivate said drive means when a predetermined number of coins have been detected, said means to detect being a rotatably mounted star wheel which is rotated by the coins being pushed thereagainst, said means to inactivate said drive means including a cam and switch means, said switch means being pivotally mounted and means to pivot said switch means into the path of travel of said cam upon the detection of the passage of predetermined number of coins.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cam and said star wheel are interconnected by a shaft, said shaft having a first gear thereon, a second gear on a second shaft meshing with said first gear, a count cam on said second shaft, switch means mounted adjacent said second shaft and means on said count cam to energize said switch means when said count cam is rotated into position by said star wheel.
 3. Apparatus to supply a predetermined number of coins to a zone to be packaged comprising: a coin container, a coin collection tube, drive means to supply coins individually from said container to said collection tube, a star wheel in the path of travel of said coins, said star wheel having an elongated shaft with a cam attached thereto, a switch means pivotally mounted adjacent said cam and means to pivot said switch means into the path of travel of said cam when a predetermined number of coins have been counted to deactivate said drive means.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said cam and said star wheel are interconnected by a shaft, said shaft having a first gear thereon, a second gear on a second shaft meshing with said first gear, a count cam on said second shaft, switch means mounted adjacent said second shaft and means on said count cam to energize said switch means when said count cam is rotated into position by said star wheel. 